When most of us want kids we do it the usual way – we have sex. But for an adventurous few adoption is the way to go. Come along with this Seattle mom as she heads fearlessly (yeah right!) down the road less traveled.

Going Green with Your Pets

Seattle Mom Blogs is doing a countdown to Earth Day, and put out a call to all mommy-bloggers to “blog about your own greenishness”. Rather than tell you about my hemp wallet and my compact fluorescents, I thought I’d pose this question instead: have you ever thought about going green with your pets? Oh I don’t mean adopting frogs or lizards (unless amphibians and reptiles are your thing). I’m talking about going earth-friendly. Yes, you can go green with your critters!

Choose pet food without the chemical preservatives BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, vary cats’ diets to limit their exposure to mercury in seafood, and choose organic or free-range ingredients rather than “by-products.”

Use a reverse osmosis, faucet-mounted, or pitcher filter to remove contaminants before filling your pet’s water bowl.

Replace older foam pet bedding, and replace or reupholster furniture with exposed or crumbling foam where flame retardants are found.

Vacuum often with a HEPA-filter vacuum, and take off your shoes at the door to minimize your pets’ exposure to toxic chemicals in house dust.

If you suspect your deck was made with arsenic-treated wood, treat it with a sealant every six months and don’t let pets play or sleep underneath it. Wash with mild soap and water, but never power wash!

Avoid nonstick pans. An overheated nonstick pan can kill pet birds, and it gives off chemicals that may be bad for other pets and people too. Try cast iron instead.

Care for your lawn without using insecticides, which may cause nervous system damage in pets that walk on the treated lawn, eat the grass, or breathe in the chemicals.

Use kitty litter made of plant sources like wheat or recycled newspaper. Clay-based kitty litter is strip-mined, causing extreme environmental damage during extraction.

Get biodegradable, compostable doo-bags for when you go on walks with your pooch–or just reuse bags like plastic newspaper wrappers.

Not only are flea collars generally ineffective, they’re also a source of constant toxic exposure for your pet and family. Instead, vacuum often and thoroughly, bathe your pet regularly, and ask your vet or local pet store about safer flea treatments and repellents.

Try a mild baby shampoo intended for human use instead of a pet product. Just like human products, pet grooming product manufacturers aren’t required to test their grooming products for safety–but unlike human products, they’re not even required to list ingredients on labels. Use EWG’s Skin Deep at cosmeticsdatabase.com to find one that’s right for your pet.

Did you notice that most of Eddie’s tips focus on what’s healthiest for your pet? That’s because what’s healthy for your fur-kids – and for us humans – is generally better for the earth too. Reducing chemicals in our environment, eating organic, choosing free-range meats, using natural alternatives – all of those things are good for everyone, including Mother Earth!

So where in the world do you get some of this stuff? Start with your local healthy pet store. Make it easy to buy the best for your pet by skipping the traditional pet store and choosing one that focuses specifically on stocking only the healthiest products and foods. Here in the Seattle area we have a lot to choose from. All The Best Pet Care and Mud Bay Granary are local businesses that have several locations. There are plenty of mom & pop healthy pet stores too, like Eastside Dog (And Cats Too) in Redmond and Earth Pet in Issaquah.

If you have other green pet tips or know of other healthy pet stores you want to share, please add them to the comments. Together we can go green with our pets!

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